Plunger control device



Oct. 3l, 1933. H. w.FLETcHER PLUNGER CONTROL DEVICE Filed July 25, 1932@J NN HAROLmHET/9Z7? INVENTOR BY ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 31, 1933 UNITEDSTATES ,rLUNGER coNTRoL DEVICE Harold W. Fletcher, Houston, Tex.,assignor to HughcsTool Company, Houston, Tex., a. corporation of TexaskApplication July 2,5, 1932. Serial No. 624,429

s claims. (c1. 10s-52) My invention relates to plunger lift devices foruse in raising liquid from wells by pneumatically operated means.y Itpertains particularly to-the control of the plunger at the upper end ofits 5 stroke by regulating the flow of the pressure iluid from the well.f

1n the operation of plunger lift devices the load of liquid above theplunger is discharged at the end of the upward stroke and then theplunger passes the outlet, allowing the gaseous pressure fluid toexhaust from said outlet. The valve in the plunger opens and the plungerstarts to drop almost immediately. In doing so, it falls -into therising stream of the exhausting gaseous iluid l5 and may be blown backand the valve again closed, thus interfering with the desired operationof the device. v

It is an object of my invention to prevent the immediate falling of theplunger until the gaseous iluid has, to a large extent, exhausted, thusallowing the free and expeditious dropping of the plunger on thedownward stroke when it is released.

l desire to provide a ilow connection between Si the extreme upper endof the eduction tube and the flow pipe carrying the liquid fromther-well and, by means in said flow pipe, to exert a suction on saidupper end of the flow line suilicient to retain the plunger at the upperend of the eduction O tube until the gas or air has exhausted from theeduction tube suiiiciently so as not to interfere with the fall of theplunger.

l contemplate employing the flow of the exhausting gas to act above theplunger and by re- 25 ducing the fluid pressure on the upper side of theplunger, prevent its immediate dropping after its upward stroke has beencompleted.v

In the drawing herewith Fig. 1 is a side View, partly in elevation andpartly in central vertical 4.o section, of the equipment of a plungerlift apparatus with my improvement employed thereon. Fig. 2 is avertical section of the lower end of the well with the plunger liftapparatus therein. The apparatus includes an outer well casing l 5 whichextends downwardly a suicient depth to hold up the walls of the well. Atthe upper end of the casing is the special casing head 2 having at itslower end a lateral opening in which is connected the pipe 3 controlledby the valve 4. Above the pipe 3 there is an inner annular flange 5which serves as a support for the eduction tube. Above this ilange 5 isa lateral outlet port 6 in which is screwed the flow pipe 7. The upperend of the casing head is formed with a bonnet 8 55 which closes thecasing head except for the openingV 9 in which is connected the upperextension l of the eduction tube. This extension is closed by a cap 11having therein a tubular shock absorbing member 12 of rubber or similarmaterial. The upper end of the cap has an axialopening in 30 which isconnected the bypass pipe 13 leading, by way of the choke device 15, andthe pipe 16 to the T 17 which forms the housing for an ejector device inthe flow line '7.

Theejector device is of common construction, the section of pipe l'trin`the ow line has an inward upset and a restricted passage 19 leading tothe interiorof theY chamber 22 in the housing 17. lThe section of flowline which is connected into the downstream end ofthe housing 7,0 i7 isalso upset inwardly and formed with a Venturi passage 21, the flaringend of which receives the tapered end of the section 17.' The rapid'flow of iluid through the chamber 22 exerts a suction in pipe 16 due tothe reduction of pres- 75 sure about the ejector device.

The eduction tube 14- has, within the casing head, a supporting'head 23having a radial flange 24 resting upon the flange 5 in the casing headand serving to form a seal' aboutthe tube within 80 the casing head.`The tube 14 within the casing is perforated at 25 to allow outletfor-the iluid `from `the Veduction tube to the interior of the casinghead. The lower end of theveduction tube has a cross-shaped stop member26 below which 85 is the strainer plug 27 through which fluid enters thetube. This construction of the eduction tube is not a part oi thepresent invention; I

The plunger operating in the eduction tube is shown at the upperextension of the tube where it will be at the upper end of itsstroke.This plunger includes Aa tubular body 28, the interior bore of'whiohtapers downwardly. At the lower end of this body is a head 29 having avalvesupiport and guideBO at its lower end and a valve seat toward itsupper end. The valve stem 31 passes through the guide and projects belowto contact with the stop 28 at the lower end of its stroke and thus movethe valve to closed position.

In the now line 7 may be placed a gate valve 100 32 to manually closeoff the ilow line when desired.

In operating, the plunger at the lower end of its stroke will be liftedwith its load of liquid by the pressure of gaseous iiuid accumulatingbelow the plunger. The load of liquid will be discharged through theperforations 25 to the ilow line 7. The plunger will be moved past theoutlet openings and, Aas the line 16 forming the bypass is open, the gasand liquid above the plunger will leak through the bypass as fast as the`choke 15 will allow it. The choke will be adjusted to prevent theplunger hitting the bumper 12 with any great force.

As the plunger passes the outlet openings, the gas behind the plungerwill rush through the outlet ports to the ow line. The flow of fluidthrough. .the ejector member 1'7.Will.f.lower ,the pressureabove theplunger and the comparatively great (pressure below the plunger willhold it in place, as shown in Fig. 1, until the'gashas sumcientlyexhausted to nearly balance the pressure above and below the plunger4and thus 'allow the plunger to drop. l

The valve in the plunger may ,then drpp open, or may remain closed untilthegas current; is encountered at the openings, andthe plunger will thenbe agitated in the outcoming vgas and the valve thus causedtodropmpenandfpermit the tube.

When .theg gas .vpressurein the eduction tube-is flowered following.thei discharge -of..-the .load-.the .liquid will rise fin,theeduction.. tube: andi the [plunger :will thus',- strike. vthe diquid`before it hits its seatY 26` and -there will be ln; .-jar:upon Athefap"params-.as -theplunger sinks through. the liquid 'to,thefseatfwhere.thevalvefis closed again.

.-.The advantagesor vthis device arise-z through the operation of thesuction means :#above the plungenwhich prevents itsl fall .until-..thelarger .partof the `gashas exhausted.Y -.=By1doingthis, :the droppingof- :the 'plunger 'is' not interfered .-with. *The gasstill continueslto floW, but, notl With; suf- .rlcient` force vtozimpede the fall oftheIplungeras soon fasl .thervalve opensfland. this opening- .of the valveoccurs :asf-soon as the flow-of. gas acting on thqplungerand f,'v'alvagitates :the plunger 1in :the tube. -.Iam thus enabled `to.prevent the fall -of bqiplunger,.-prematurely,: beore the, violenceofi-thc,v gas, discharge .has l dissipated.Y The 2 operation of thedevice is-henee'mademoreguniform Aandaccurate.-.and the dicultiespreviously: ex- ;periend through -the aimmediate .fall fof ...theplunger-are avoided.

lAllhat. Iclaimfas :newis: f

LffAfplunger fliftrapparatus; including aneduc- :tion tube-.a Vlateralflow :line` connectedztherewlthaandiav-plunger movable byg'pneumaticpressure 'from =the=lower endto .ftheupperend of said tube :incombination with.. a; lm-pass;v -from .the yupper end'- of. said tubeyabove -saidflow'line .to ysaid xow dine and -means Vto. freducethefnormal- :fluid pressure innsaid Alay-pasaba holdlsaid,.-plunger atthe downstream end of saidbypass.

'.:2. "A;plunger lftpparatusncluding anfeduc- .timr tubefa lateral; flowline: connected .therewith andacplunger `movableafby:pneumatic; pressurefrom the lowencnduto .thezuppen end'of-said :tube in combinationlwi'thcai,by-pass Vfrom theupper end ot: said itubeaboye: said Low llineVto said now line and means in said flow line to reduce the normal iluidpressure in said by-pass to hold said plunger at the downstream end ofsaid bypass.

3. In a plunger lift device a Well casing, an eduction tube therein, aplunger in said tube, a;.1low..line.from said casing,outletsi`rom saidtube-to saidzlcarsing, an eduction tube extension above said casing, andmeans in said flow line connected to exert a suction at the upper endsof: said extension to act upon said plunger and tend to hold it at theupper end of said tube ex- ;.v-tensionfwhilei pressure uid is flowing insaid ,line,

431m .'agplungerllift device a Well casing, an eduction'tube.;therein, aplunger in said tube, a flow line from said casing, outlets Afrom saidff-tube to=saldcasingf1an eduction tube extension the plunger to fallfreely to the lower end of above sad casing, an ejector in said oW lineconnected With the upper end of said extension to lowerthe. fluidpressure .above Ithe :plungemf or theppurposeidescribed. v

A: .a,\plungerV lift .zdevice'rinoluding a casing, .af casing :headfthereom. an eduction' l:tube 'insaid casingdischarging -into'zsaidheadrand :fitting -up- Wardly through said casing head,'.f.a,,plungerwin.saidtuberanda now line iromsaidcasing head; fin fcombimxtion'`With.means in, saictflow line fre- ,sponsi'veto .fthe discharge of .uid`through.'y said gow Aline .to reduce the fpressure. at :the upper endAof .saidfeduction tube for the spurpose.described. 6- In ,.a; fplunger.lift device .including-a casing, afcasing. head.thereon,.an eductiontube irl-,said casingdischarging:intoY said headand ttng up-\-ward1y.through said casingfrhead, .ag plunger. .in .said tube-andaowaline from-said casing `head; in combination with abypassconnectinghthe .upper-end; of e said .-eduction tube @withsaidflow :lineataa pointispaced romsaid easing vheadfand.meansfinisazdfflowline responsive tothe flow. of ;1luid;-.in-lsaidgfloweline; to, reducer the -fluidz pressurefirr said'fbypass.

'7. In a plunger lift device including anfeduction-atubef an.. outlettherefrom-below .its.o.upper en dftaflow-linee connected with saidoutletwa -'plunger in.saidteduction -tubeiadapted tomove fpast?said-:outlet to4 the .upper end. ofsaid tube, ,andmeans responsive 4tothe flow oi-luidinsaid fflowqline .to retain saidlplunger above saidoutlet. -8 In a-plunger-liftfdeviceLincludinganeduc- `tion- .tube,-.an.,outlet :therefrom below its upper end, la ow line connected With-.saidoutlet, a .plunger said eductiontube adapted 1to1-move .past-said outletto .the upper end msaid tube,

fthewimprovement .comprising creating af'prel Iponderance yof :fluid:pressure below.- said plunger to retaing.said.fplunger. above/ saidIoutletwuntil the ilowvof. fluid infsaid -flow :line att-eachVY strokehaszfmaterially decreased.

-. HAROLDW FLETCHER.

